Fort Griffin Living History Association

Fort Griffin Living History Association The Fort Griffin Living History Association are volunteers
who are dedicated to providing hands on educational and entertaining opportunities for the public.

FGLHA is to keep our volunteers up to date about events, and happenings going on in the Living History world. Also, It's about keeping history alive, and interesting. About educating our young people with hands on history lessons, that are never forgotten.

04/29/2026

Are you needing something to do Saturday? Join your favorite living historians at Fort Lancaster and Battlefield State Historic Site. This event will be one to remember!

04/29/2026

usaveteranshop

Shackelford County is blooming. Spend the weekend taking photos and visiting Fort Griffin SHS.
04/29/2026

Shackelford County is blooming. Spend the weekend taking photos and visiting Fort Griffin SHS.

With Texas Forts Trail Region – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉
04/29/2026

With Texas Forts Trail Region – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉

04/26/2026

One of the questions we hear most from visitors here at Fort Richardson is: “Are there other forts we can visit?” 🤔

The answer is yes! 🙌 We’re proud to be part of the Texas Forts Trail Region, one of several heritage regions across Texas. ⭐

Follow the map below 🗺️ to explore all 9 forts in the region and take a journey through Texas history. Along the way, you’ll also find 8 beautiful state parks 🌳, perfect for an overnight stay as you travel from site to site. 🏕️

Each fort has its own story, and together they help tell the bigger picture of how these sites were connected across the frontier. 📜

Start your adventure with us, then see where the trail takes you! 🚗

04/23/2026

This week in the history of The US Army Camel Experiment. . .

April 23, 1880: Hadji Ali (Hi Jolly/Felipe Teodoro/Phillip Tedro) married Gertrudis Serna in Tucson, Arizona.

Hadji Ali, half Syrian, half Greek, came to America from Izmir (now part of Türkiye) with the second importation of camels for US military use, arriving in Texas in February of 1857. By the summer of that year he’d join the Beale Expedition which used the camels to survey a wagon road from Albuquerque to the Colorado River border of California. He stayed out west working for the Army as a mule packer and scout, accompanying Gen. George Crook in the capture of Geronimo, ultimately living out his life near Quartzsite, Arizona where he attempted to make it as a prospector.

U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Arab American National Museum

04/23/2026

🍽️ Daily Special at The Icehouse 🍽️
Comfort food done right, y’all 👇
• Hand-breaded Chicken Fried Chicken Breast
• Creamy Mashed Potatoes
• Buttery Mixed Veggies
• Fresh, Warm Roll
AND a side of our rich, peppery Gravy (because more is always better)
Come see us and grab a plate while it lasts!

04/23/2026

Santa Anna was captured on April 22nd and brought before Sam Houston, who lay wounded on a mattress underneath the boughs of an oak tree in the Texas camp. John Forbes' audited pension application in the Republic Claims Files describes what happened:

"I put my hand on his arm to rouse him. He raised himself on his elbow and looked up. The prisoner immediately addressed him, telling him who he was and surrendering himself to him, a prisoner of war.

General Houston looked at him intensely but made no reply, turning to me, requested me to proceed to the guard fire and bring...before him a young man who was reported to be the private secretary of Santa Anna and could talk English fluently. I did so, and on my return found the prisoner seated quietly in a chair beside the General's mattress.

The young man, on seeing the prisoner, assured Genl. Houston that the prisoner then before him was truly Genl. Santa Anna. General Houston, wanting additional evidence, sent me again to the guard fire to bring Genl. Almonte before him. In bringing down Genl. Almonte, I met Genl. Th. J. Rusk and Lieut. Zavalla...They accompanied me with Genl. Almonte to where Genl. Houston was, when the prisoner was fully recognized and identified."

"The conqueror of the Napoleon of the West is born to no common destiny," Santa Anna said, "and can afford to be generous to the vanquished."

"You should have thought about that at the Alamo," Houston countered.

Santa Anna tried to justify his actions at the Alamo by saying that it was taken by storm which allowed everyone inside to be killed. Houston was unmoved, so Santa Anna claimed he was only following orders from his government.

"You ARE the government!" Houston snapped. And he continued by saying that no grounds whatsoever excused the slaughter of Fannin and his men at Goliad. He was in no mood for hearing any of Santa Anna's hogwash, and several accounts describe Santa Anna as losing his nerve under Houston's cold resolve.

Sam Houston was the only one standing between Santa Anna and a rope, a bullet, or a blade. Everyone wanted him killed. Though a persistent myth still circulates about Sam sparing Santa Anna's life out of Masonic respect, he instead made a careful, pragmatic decision.

There were thousands of Mexican troops still in the field under other Mexican generals, and Houston did not know where they were. Had those troops pressed the attack, Houston's men would have been wiped out and history would have unfolded very differently. Sparing Santa Anna allowed him to be used as a diplomatic bargaining chip to get Filisola and Urrea to back off.

But Houston had a second reason, a moral reason, for not killing Santa Anna. He said (paraphrasing) "We're better than that." He said that to be respected around the world, Texas had to show that its values were different than those of other upstart countries. Effectively saying, that's the way banana republics change power –by killing whoever was in charge before the new people took over. And we're not doing that. We're better than that.

"Alive Santa Anna may be of some use to us," Houston said, "dead, he's just another dead Mexican."

TCU's Dr. Gregg Cantrell observed, "Houston could point to the battlefield that was littered with the bodies of 600 dead Mexican soldiers, one more wasn't going to make a difference even if it was the President of Mexico."


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04/03/2026

Don’t miss the fun! The 10th Annual Crawfish & Cannons feat. Pat Green with opening act John Baumann is right around the corner with live cannon fire from our friends with Goods Light Artillery and US 4th Light Artillery, Battery B! 💣

While you’re at Fort Belknap, take a moment to visit the Fort Museum to learn more about the historical significance this area played in defending the Texas frontier.

Join us in saluting Reddell Law Firm for providing the fire power as our Title Sponsor!

🎟️: https://www.prekindle.com/events/visit-graham

📸: Photography By Brie

01/28/2026

Next week on Saturday, February 7th, it's our annual March on Fredonia event!

This event commemorates the Austin militia joining in on the effort to quell the Fredonian Rebellion which began in 1826; a time in which a few lone colonists attempted to claim independence from Mexico ten years before Texas would do so officially.

Learn what it took to be a member of Austin's militia 200 years ago, about why no one wanted to declare independence from Mexico that early, and (best of all) see a cannon be fired!

The fun begins at 9am on Saturday, February 7th. The story starts here, at San Felipe de Austin!

Address

1701 N US Highway 283
Albany, TX
76430

Telephone

+13257622550

Website

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